Bispecific antibodies revolutionizing breast cancer treatment: a comprehensive overview

Huan-Rong Lan; Min Chen; Shi-Ya Yao; Jun-Xia Chen; Ke-Tao Jin

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1266450

Bispecific antibodies revolutionizing breast cancer treatment: a comprehensive overview

Front Immunol. 2023 Dec 4:14:1266450. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1266450. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Huan-Rong Lan^#¹, Min Chen^#², Shi-Ya Yao³, Jun-Xia Chen⁴, Ke-Tao Jin³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgical Oncology, Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
² Department of Colorectal Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
³ Department of Colorectal Surgery, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China.
⁴ Department of Gynecology, Shaoxing People's Hospital, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Breast cancer (BCa) is known as a complex and prevalent disease requiring the development of novel anticancer therapeutic approaches. Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) have emerged as a favorable strategy for BCa treatment due to their unique ability to target two different antigens simultaneously. By targeting tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) on cancer cells, engaging immune effector cells, or blocking critical signaling pathways, BsAbs offer enhanced tumor specificity and immune system involvement, improving anti-cancer activity. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the potential of BsAbs in BCa. For example, BsAbs targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) have shown the ability to redirect immune cells to HER2-positive BCa cells, resulting in effective tumor cell killing. Moreover, targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway by BsAbs has demonstrated promising outcomes in overcoming immunosuppression and enhancing immune-mediated tumor clearance. Combining BsAbs with existing therapeutic approaches, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapies, or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has also revealed synergistic effects in preclinical models and early clinical trials, emphasizing the usefulness and potential of BsAbs in BCa treatment. This review summarizes the latest evidence about BsAbs in treating BCa and the challenges and opportunities of their use in BCa.

Keywords: bispecific antibodies; breast cancer; immunotherapy; targeted therapy; tumor specificity.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antibodies, Bispecific*
Antigens, Neoplasm
Breast Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Female
Humans
Signal Transduction

Substances

Antibodies, Bispecific
Antigens, Neoplasm

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no., 82104445 to H-RL), Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Projects (grants no. LGF22H160046 to H-RL, and LGF22H160017 to MC), and Jinhua Municipal Science and Technology Projects (grants no.2021-3-040 to K-TJ, and, 2021-3-046 to H-RL).